SOUTH AFRICA – South Africa’s Recycling and Economic Development Initiative (Redisa) has filed a legal challenge against the government’s Industry Waste Tyre Management Plan (IWTMP) in the Pretoria High Court.
Redisa argues that the plan, approved by former Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment Minister Barbara Creecy in March, poses a serious environmental and economic threat.
In a statement, Redisa expressed concern that the plan infringes on South Africans’ constitutional right to a protected environment, calling it “unlawful, irrational, unreasonable, and procedurally unfair.”
According to Redisa CEO Hermann Erdmann, the organisation took this legal step as a last resort, stating, “No one wants to engage in costly and drawn-out legal battles, but continuing with this plan would have disastrous consequences.”
Redisa claims that the IWTMP is flawed and unlikely to achieve its intended goals.
The nonprofit argues that even if the plan were implemented successfully, it would have severe socioeconomic repercussions.
The organization highlights several issues, including unrealistic targets, a failure to incorporate available data and projections, and a lack of budgetary detail, particularly regarding the Waste Tyre Levy.
Additionally, Redisa criticizes the approval process, citing irregularities such as insufficient public participation and failure to provide necessary documents during consultations.
The group also notes that the plan does not include key strategies for promoting recycling and creating markets for recycled products—essential components of a circular economy.
Redisa emphasizes the economic potential of recycling waste tyres, which can be reused in industries such as rubber granulate production, waste-to-energy conversion, and craft-based products like shoes and household items.
Failing to leverage these opportunities, the organisation warns, could harm many in the waste management sector and result in lost economic potential.
South Africa produces approximately 170,000 tonnes of waste tyres annually, many of which end up in landfills, storage facilities, or are burned informally, releasing harmful toxins into the air, water, and soil.
Erdmann notes that improper tyre storage also poses a significant fire risk, with waste tyre depots across the country already overburdened.
“If this dysfunctional waste tyre plan is implemented, the consequences will be terrible,” Erdmann warned, urging stakeholders to work together to avoid further ecological damage.
Redisa previously managed South Africa’s waste tyre program from 2013 to 2017, during which time it established 22 tyre collection centres, employed over 3,000 people, supported 226 small waste enterprises, and offset 59,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Currently, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment’s Waste Management Bureau oversees waste tyre management.
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